The Commons

Dear E,

Thanks for your email.

Now that the economy is heading south -- and, in the process, taking Obama "to the ropes" -- Arthur is not as optimistic about America's future prospects. He's not desperate but does see very hard times ahead, especially if Romney wins.

In particular, Republican victory in November bodes radical reformulation of the Supreme Court. Ginsburg will almost certainly not serve another 4 years and will be lucky to survive that long.

As you know, Citizens United was stupid enough. 

But if Romney appoints another flat-liner toThe Supreme Court, that once august body will become a freak show for twenty years, maybe more.

Still, with solar energy reaching grid parity (perhaps within five years) -- and with many excellent communitarian efforts flying under radar -- we could soon enjoy an unexpected ground-up Renaissance in which off-grid "city states" taking the lead... http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/06/department-of-energy-sees-solar-grid.html  (Even now, Hillsborough is an exceptionally lovely place to live, as is daughter Maria's Asheville.)

To nourish hope,  read (or at least read about) "All That We Share" by Jay Walljasper with an introduction by Bill McKibben.  

1.) http://www.amazon.com/All-That-Share-Environment-Communities/dp/1595584994 

2.) http://www.onthecommons.org/magazine 

Here is a pertinent article by Walljasper, published in Yes! magazine, which -- if you do not know the publication -- is dedicated to Good News!  http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/all-that-we-share

Pax vobiscum

Alan